Automatic counter.



No. 879,189. PATENTED FER-l8, 1908.

J. MUNRO & A. GERARD. AUTOMATIC COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1905.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PIG-s7 INVENTURS JOHLIMUNBU AD MG'ERARD I iw No. 879,189. PATENTED FEB.18, 1908. J. MUNRO & A. GERARD.

AUTOMATIC COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIG-.7.

' M ATTUR EY.

THE unnms PETERS co, wAsmNcmrv. o. c.

JOHN MUNRO AND ADAM GERARD, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed November 29. 1905. Serial No. 289.675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN MUNRO, printer, and ADAM GERARD, machinist,both of the city of Ottawa, in the county of Carleton, Province ofOntario, Canada, having invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Counters, do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic counters particularlyadaptable for use in connection with printing machines and the objectsof our invention are to pro vide a device of cheap and simpleconstruction which will receive the work until a certain number aredeposited and then automatically remove the same out of the way, thusavoiding the necessity for the workmen counting the work and insuringthat the count shall always be accurate, further obj ects being toprovide means whereby when the machine fails to print the counter willnot register; and it consists essentially of a rotatably supportedshaft, a plurality of receiving pockets carried thereby, means fornormally restraining the rotation of said shaft. means for periodicallyreleasing said restraining means and allowing the shaft to rotate apredetermined part of its revolution and spring means to cause therotation of said shaft when free, the various parts of the device beingconstructed and arranged in detail as hereinafter more particularlydescribed.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of our automatic counter a portionthereof being in section to more clearly show the construc tion of thesame. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section view through the same. Fig. 3is an end view with the ratchet wheel E removed. Fig. 4 is an elevationof the ratchet wheel E. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 33 Fig.4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail of the spring held dog 6 Fig.7 is an elevation showing our automatic counter attached to the frame ofa printing machine.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

WVhile in the drawings we have not shown our automatic counter attachedto any particular form of printing machine yet it is to be understoodthat it will be attached in such a position thereto that the work comingfrom the printing machine will drop into receiving pockets of thecounter. The man ner of accomplishing this is quite well known to thoseskilled in the art as in this art auto matic counters have attained adistinct status.

A is a cylindrical casing which is supported by a brace a which issecured to some suitable part of the printing machine so as to supportthe automatic counter in its desired position. l/Vithin the casing A isournaled a short cylinder 6 through the center of which extends the mainshaft B of the counter. To the opposite ends of the shaft B is attachedthe work receptacle C which may be of any suitable form and as showncomprises a plurality of leaves 0 c c c which are attached to squarecentral portions c and thus form between them receiving pockets for thework. With the device arranged as in Fig. 1 the work would drop into theupper most pocket.

5 is a dog which protrudes from the end face of the cylinder 6 and whichis secured in a recess b provided in a cylinder and in which is alsolocated a spring I) which normally holds the dog in its outermostposition but permits it to be pressed in against the pressure of thespring until the end thereof is in the same plane as the end face of thecylinder.

The cylinder 7) is made somewhat shorter in length than the inclosingcase and in the space thus left a ring D is inserted having thereon aplurality of stops d, d d d which are symmetrically situated around theinner circumference of the ring. These stops are adapted to be normallyengaged by the dog I) thus preventing the rotation of the shaft. T ocushion the impact of the dog 6 with the stops we provide a lug (iformed integral with the ring D which extends through a slot 0, in thecasing and has secured to the end of it a tension spring (Z the oppositeend of which is secured to a suitable lug a formed integral with thecasing. In this manner the ring D may rotate a slight distance againstthe resiliency of the spring d.

E is the ratchet wheel which is loosely se- I cured on the shaft B andthe teeth of which are engaged by a spring held pawl e pivoted to a luga in the casing.

F is an arm which is preferably loosely supported from an annular boss 6formed integral with the ratchet wheel. This arm carries a spring heldpawl f adapted also to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel. A rod f ispivotally connected to the end of the arm F, the opposite end of whichis connected to an eccentric f on the main shaft which is adapted toreciprocate the arm f each time the press prints, thus moving theratchet wheel E a distance corresponding to one tooth. It is usual inthis form of automatic printing press to provide means whereby, when thepress fails to print, the impres sion cylinder drops. This desiredmovement is utilized in our device by means of a crank lever f one endof which is connected to the end f 4 of the impression cylinder and theother end of which extends through the lug a secured to the casing andis connected to the end of the pawl, whereby when impression cylinderdrops down as above de scribed, the end of the lever f will be loweredraising the opposite end which will raise the pawl from in contact withthe ratchet teeth and so prevent rotation of the ratchet wheel over thisportion of the press.

6 is a helical spring one end of which is 1 connected to the ratchetwheel and the other to the cylinder 1) preferably extending in anannular recess 6 in the cylinder thus economizing space. To provideadjustment of the spring we provide a plurality of holes in the ratchetwheel in any one of which the end of the spring may be secured. At thecommencement of the operation of the machine there is no tension in thehelical spring 6 e is a side cam secured to or formed integral with theside of the ratchet wheel and which is adapted in its revolution to comein contact with the spring held dog 6 This dog is made of such widththat the lower half of it extends beyond the stops when abutting themand this lower half is engaged by the cam e in its revolution which willpress the dog into its recess 19 and hence release the shaft as will behereinafter more fully described. A collar d is preferably secured onthe end of the shaft B to secure the various parts of our devicetogether.

Having now described the various details of our device we will brieflypoint out the method of operation of the same: The stops d d d d areplaced fractional distances around the circumference of the ring D andthe mechanism is so arranged that every time the press prints theratchet wheel will be moved one tooth. Thus assuming that we have onehundred teeth in the ratchet wheel the cam a would move from one stop dto the next during the time the press had printed twenty-five times.Assuming for the sake of illustration that the dog 17 is abutting thestop cl and the cam e is in a position opposite the stop (i it will beseen that each time the press prints the cam will be moved forward adistance corresponding to one ratchet tooth and by the time the presshas printed twenty-five times it will be in contact with the dog 6 Ifthere was no tension in the springs when the cam e was opposite the stop(1 by the time the cam gets around to the stop (1 the spring would bewound up to a considerable extent exerting a torque which would rotatethe shaft were it not prevented from doing so by the dog I) abutting thestop d. 'When, however, the cam presses the dog b into the recess 12 itwithdraws it from contact with the stop d and releases the shaft whichunder the torque exerted by the spring at once rotates until the stop (1having sprung out comes in con tact with the next stop 41 The operationas hereinbefore described is then repeated. The shaft rotating while thedog 12 moves from the stop (1 to (1 turns the receptacle C which emptiesthe pocket in which the work had hitherto been accumulating and as thispocket empties a workman may take the work therefrom knowing that thenumber of pieces in it will be exactly twenty-five.

The advantage of the resiliency of the spring (1 to the stops on thering D will now be apparent as the cylinder 1) rotating under the torqueof the spring e will attain considerable velocity and were the ring Drigidly supported it will be considerably jarred by the impact with thestops thereof. The lever f preventing the -movement of the ratchet wheelwhen the press does not print insures that there will be the exactnumber of pieces of work determined on in the pockets when it turns. Ifdesired a certain amount of tension may originally be placed in thespring in order to increase the torque which it will exert and this maybe adjusted by means of the holes 6 provided in the ratchet wheel.

It will thus be seen that we have devised a'machine which will quicklyand accurately count the work as it comes from the printing press orother kind of machine. While particularly adapted for use in connectionwith printing presses yet it is quite apparent that it may be equallywell used with any class of automatic machines delivering the work inlarge quantities.

The mechanism shown would of necessity have to be varied somewhat tocorrespond with different classes of automatic machines with which itcould be used but all these would fall within the scope of mechanicalskill and as such would be covered by our invention.

What we claim as our invention is 1. In an automatic counter thecombination with a spring actuated shaft, receiving pockets carriedthereby, of means normally restraining the rotation of said shaft, andmeans for periodically releasing said restraining means and allowing theshaft to rotate a predetermined amount as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an automatic counter in combination a shaft, receiving pocketscarried thereby, an operating spring secured thereto,

means operated from the movement of the amount as and for the purposespecified.

3. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported. shaft,receiving pockets carried thereby, a ratchet wheel loosely supportedthereon, an arm freely supported on said shaft, a pawl pivoted to saidarm engaging said ratchet teeth, a second independently pivoted pawlalso engag ing the teeth of said ratchet wheel, means operated by theproducing machine for moving said arm at each operation thereof, aspring secured to said shaft, a ratchet wheel which is wound by themovement of the latter, means for normally preventing the rotation ofthe shaft by the spring and means for releasing said means and allowingthe shaft to be rotated by the spring for a predetermined amount as andfor the purpose specified.

4. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported shaft,receiving pockets carried thereby, a ratchet wheel loosely supportedthereon, an arm freely supported on said shaft, a pawl pivoted to saidarm engaging said ratchet teeth, a second independently pivoted pawlalso engaging the teeth of said ratchet wheel, means operated by theproducing machine for moving said arm at each operation thereof, aspring secured to said shaft, a ratchet wheel which is wound by themovement of the latter, means for normally preventing the rotation ofthe shaft by the spring, means for releasing said means and allowing theshaft to be rotated by the spring for a predetermined amount, and meansfor withdrawing the first pawl from in contact with the teeth of theratchet wheel whenever the printing press fails to print as and for thepurpose specified.

5. In an automatic counter in combination a shaft receiving pocketscarried thereby, a ratchet wheel loosely supported thereon, a springextending between said shaft and ratchet wheel adapted to be wound up bythe rotation of the latter, means operated by the operation of theproducing machine for rotating said ratchet wheel, means for normallypreventing the rotation of said shaft, and means for withdrawing saidmeans and allowing the shaft to rotate under the action of the springfor a portion of its revolution as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an automatic counter in combination a shaft, receiving pocketscarried thereby, a ratchet wheel loosely supported thereon, a springextending between said shaft 5 and ratchet wheel adapted to be wound upby the rotation of the latter, means op erated by the operation of theproducing machine for rotating said ratchet wheel, means for normallypreventing the rotation of said shaft and means operated by said ratchetwheel in its rotation for removing said preventing means and allowingthe shaft to rotate under the action of the spring for a portion of itsrevolution as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported shaft,an operating spring secured thereto, means for normally preventing therotation thereof, means operated by the operation of the printing pressfor winding said spring and means for intermittently removing the meansfor pre venting the rotation of said shaft and allowing said spring torotate it as and for the purpose specified.

S. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported shaft,an operating spring secured thereto, means for normally preventing therotation thereof, means operated by the operation of the printing pressfor winding said spring, means for i11- termittently removing the meansfor reventing the rotation of said shaft and allowing said spring torotate it and means for preventing the winding of said spring during theperiods when the press fails to print as and for the purpose specified.

9. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supportedshaft, acylinder secured thereto, a casing 'inclosing the same, a spring-helddog protruding from the end of said cylinder, a plurality of stopsadapted to be successively engaged by said dog in its normal position,means operated by the operation of the producing machine for disengagingsaid dog from in contact with said stops and means for rotating saidshaft when said dog is disengaged from the stops as and for the purposespecified.

10. In an automatic counter the combination with a cylinder, a casinginclosing the same, a spring-held dog protruding from the end of thecylinder, a plurality of stops adapted to be successively engaged bysaid dog, a cam adapted to co-act with said dog to release the same,from engagement with said stops, and means for bringing said cam incontact with said dog as and for the purpose specified.

11. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported shaft,a plurality of receiving pockets carried thereby, a cylinder carriedthereby, a spring-held dog protruding from the end thereof, a pluralityof stops non-rotatably supported adapted to be successively engaged bysaid dog, a ratchet wheel loosely supported on said shaft, meansoperated by the operation of the producing machine for rotating saidratchet wheel, a side cam on said ratchet wheel adapted to co-act withsaid dog to 'release the same from in contact with said stops, and meansfor rotating said shaft when said dog has been released from in contactwith said stops as and for the purpose specified.

12. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported shaft,a plurality of receiving pocketscarried thereby, a cylinder carriedthereby, a spring-held dog protruding from the end thereof, a pluralityof stops non-rotatably supported adapted to be successively engaged bysaid dog, a ratchet wheel loosely supported on said shaft, meansoperated by the operation of the producing machine for rotating saidratchet wheel, a side cam on said ratchet wheel adapted to coact withsaid dog to release the same from in contact with said stops, and aspring connecting said ratchet wheel and shaft adapted to rotate thelatter when the dog has been withdrawn from in contact with the stop asand for the purpose specified.

13. In an automatic counter in combina tion a rotatably supported shaft,a plurality of receiving pockets carried thereby, a cylinder carriedthereby, a casing inclosing the same, a spring-held dog protruding fromthe surface of said cylinder, a ring abutting the end of said cylinder,a plurality of stops formed integral with the inner circumferencethereof adapted to be successively engaged by said dog, a ratchet wheelloosely supported on said shaft, means for rotating the same operated bythe operation of the producing machine, a side cam formed integraltherewith and adapted to oo aot with said dog to release the same fromcontact with said stops, a spring extending between said ratchet wheeland shaft and adapted to rotate the latter when said dog has beenreleased from contact with the stop as and for the purpose specified.

14. In an automatic counter in combination a rotatably supported shaft,a plurality of receiving pockets carried thereby, a cylinder carriedthereby, a casing inclosing the communicating a reciprocating movementto said arm, a second pawl pivoted to the casing and engaging the teethof said ratchet wheel, a side cam formed integral with said ratchetwheel and adapted to co-act with said dog to withdraw the same fromcontact with the stops, a helical spring having one end thereofconnected to the ratchet wheel and the other to said cylinder andadapted to rotate said cylinder and shaft when said dog is released fromin contact with said stops as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at Ottawa, in the Province of On tario, this 22nd day ofNovember, 1905.

JOHN MUNRO. ADAM GERARD. In the presence of RUssEL S. SMART, JOHN G.FosTER.

